One of William Barclay’s friends tells the following story: In the church where he worshiped there was a lonely old man, old Thomas. He had outlived all his friends and hardly anyone knew him. When Thomas died, this friend had the feeling that there would be no one to go to the funeral so he decided to go, so that there might be someone to follow the old man to his last resting-place.

There was no one else, and it was a miserable wet day. The funeral reached the cemetery, and at the gate there was a soldier waiting. An officer, but on his raincoat there were no rank badges. He came to the graveside for the ceremony, then when it was over, he stepped forward and before the open grave swept his hand to a salute that might have been given to a king. The friend walked away with this soldier, and as they walked, the wind blew the soldier’s raincoat open to reveal the shoulder badges of a brigadier general.

The general said, “You will perhaps be wondering what I am doing here. Years ago Thomas was my Sunday School teacher; I was a wild lad and a sore trial to him. He never knew what he did for me, but I owe everything I am or will be to old Thomas, and today I had to come to salute him at the end.” Thomas did not know what he was doing.²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, again today I am available. Please make me usable and use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch so that I will have an influence on others, not only for time, but also for eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB)(NLT).

2. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com.

King Duncan tells about the story of a manager of a ten-story office building who was informed that a man was trapped in an elevator between the second and third floors. The manager rushed to the grill work under the stalled car and called to the passenger, “Keep cool, sir; we’ll have you out soon. I’ve phoned for the elevator mechanic.”

There was a brief pause and a tense voice replied, “I am the elevator mechanic.”²

Many of us, especially we men, even when we are trapped find it very difficult to say, “I have a problem. I need help.” As a result, we pay a high price for our stubborn independence.

When it comes to our spiritual wellbeing and life beyond the grave, many, if not most, people figure that if they have done enough good things to outweigh the bad things they have done, that this will qualify them for entering God’s heaven. In other words we want to save ourselves, which is akin to a drowning man trying to save himself by picking himself up out of the water.

Vance Havner used to say how the world’s a goner. It’s a sinking ship. God’s goal isn’t to save the world but to save lost sinners from the sinking ship that is drowning in an ocean of sin and degradation. Only the ones who admit that they are a lost sinner and cry for God to save them can be saved for all eternity.

We simply cannot save ourselves. That’s why Jesus came to die on the cross in our place—to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and given God’s gift of eternal life. The prayer God loves to hear is, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for my sins. Have mercy on me and save me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For further help be sure to read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. Luke 18:13 (NKJV).

2. King Duncan www.sermons.com.

When the armies of ancient Israel, led by Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land, the surrounding kings and nations were understandably terrified. This was because God was with the Israelites giving them great victories over their enemies—enemies whom God commanded the Israelites to destroy because of their sinful, decadent, and self-destructive ways.

The men of Gibeon, a close country, resorted to trickery. They sent a delegation to Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant land so they could deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them. Their donkeys carried worn out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and had been mended. They wore old clothes, worn and patched sandals, and the bread they carried with them was dry and moldy.

Their disguise worked very well. Joshua signed a treaty with them only to discover afterwards they were a neighboring people among those countries God had told Joshua to destroy. They had to live with the consequences as a result.

Joshua’s mistake was that he made this treaty without praying and inquiring of the Lord—a valuable lesson for all of us to learn.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me never to forget my need for wisdom and guidance from you and daily seek your direction in everything I do. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Joshua 9:14 (NIV).

“During my idealistic youth,” Michael Josephson of Character Counts wrote, “I attended an event in a large stadium. Everyone was given an unlit candle. A speaker talked about the power of one person with an enlightened message. He lit his candle, walked over to two people in the stands and lit theirs with his candle. He asked them to light two others. Within a few minutes, everyone’s candle was lit and the entire stadium glowed.

“It’s the most powerful visual metaphor I’ve ever experienced. A single tiny flame had lit thousands of candles. What’s more, as it was passed on and on, each glimmer continued to burn with undiminished light. The speed with which the sparkle and warmth of that single flame spread across the stadium was awe-inspiring.”²

Today’s ever darkening world with never-ending acts of terror, the growing threat of Iran with developing nuclear weapons, the rapid growth of Islam with endless numbers of radical Muslims who hate Jews, the West, and Christians—and are determined to overrun and kill us—all of this needs to be a wakeup call for every Christian.

Add to this the accelerating moral decline, plus the numerous secular-progressive radicals, judges, politicians, and leaders, etc., etc., with their increasing anti-God, anti-Christian, pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion philosophy and actions.

Thus, there is an urgent need for every Christian to let our light shine for Jesus and reach out to people everywhere with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ—the Light of the World and the only hope of our sin-sick world.

Let us together renew our resolve to be a candlelight for Jesus. Let our good deeds and kind words be a living testimony to the saving power of Jesus. And may we always stand up for what is right, and by our example show others the way. And, above all, resolve to keep on sharing the gospel with all we can while we can—and encourage other Christians we know to do likewise.

Remember the chorus we sang as kids in Sunday School: “See this little light of mine / I’m going to let it shine . . . Don’t let Satan poof it out / I’m going to let it shine . . . Let is shine ’till Jesus comes / I’m going to let it shine / let it shine / let it shine.

For helps to “let your light shine” and reach others for Christ see: “Tips on how to be an effective People Power for Jesus Partner to help change the world—one person at a time” at www.actsweb.org/people_power/tips.php.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I resolve to do everything I can to let my light shine for Jesus. Please use me to be a lesser light to point others to Jesus, the Light of the World, and in so doing may many accept him as their personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 5:15-16 (NKJV).

2. Michael Josephson, Character Counts, http://charactercounts.org.

In response to the Daily Encounter titled, “Cheaters Never Win,” one man whom I will call Fred wrote saying. “My wife left and divorced me. Now she is remarried. She has moved on. I’m in dreadful pain and can’t seem to move on. She cheated. I didn’t. She broke the rules. I didn’t. She’s happy. I’m not. She seems to have won. I lost.

It appears to Fred that his former wife won. However, Fred’s issue isn’t about her—whether she is a winner or not—as Fred can’t change her. For Fred the issue is about him and whether he chooses to stay a loser-victim rather than becoming a winning-loser.

And yes, losing love hurts real badly. There are few things in life more painful than rejection. When a marriage fails, it can be extremely difficult to see, but if one can see beyond his present circumstances, be still and listen with his heart, he will hear God’s wakeup call and see that God wants him to grow and become a much healthier and more fulfilled person.

The point is that what we see is what we will become. That is, if I see myself as a loser, a loser I will be. If I see myself as a winner, a winner I will be. As Jesus said to the blind men, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” And what is faith? It is visualizing or seeing what God wants you to be and, with his help, acting on what you see to make it happen.

As I said to Fred, “Your situation is God’s wakeup call for you to grow and become the person God wants you to be. This will take time, commitment, and hard work, but if you get into a good recovery program and work on your character issues and grow, you will become a true winner. To begin, ask God to face you with the truth about you, to reveal to you any and all character issues you need to work on, and to lead you to the help you need to recover and grow.

The fact is that in every loss, setback, and heartbreak, God wants to use it as a wakeup call for us to grow and become healthier, whole, and fulfilled persons. The choice is ours. Remember: With commitment, hard work and courage, what you see God wants you to be will be.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to look beyond my present circumstances and see with faith’s eye exactly what you want me to become. Show me what I need to do and lead me to the help I need so to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 9: 29 (NIV).

I was visiting the beautiful Huntington Library Gardens a while back with some friends and was greatly impressed with the wonderful gardens with sections dedicated to different countries. When we were in the Japanese section and saw the display of bonsai trees, one of my friends remarked how sad it was to see such wonderful trees root-bound in that they could never in their current setting ever reach the potential that they were designed to become.

I get the same kind of feeling at a zoo or animal sanctuary when I see a glorious eagle cage-bound. This “king of birds” with the incredible wingspan can rise no higher than the cage he is in.

I wonder when God looks down and sees so many of his children sin-bound or damaged-emotions-bound, does this make him feel sad? I’m sure it does, but the good news is that God also sees our great potential.

When Jesus first met Simon he saw Peter, the rock. When he looked at Abram, he saw Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. When he saw David, the shepherd boy, he saw a mighty King David. When he looked at Saul of Tarsus, he saw Paul the Apostle.

And when Jesus looks at you and me, he sees us not only as we are, but also what, with his help, we can become.

When Jesus looks at you, what do you thinks he sees? Whatever you do, don’t miss out on becoming what God has envisioned for you to become. He does have a vision and purpose for your life too. Never rest until you discover what that purpose is.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the insight to see what you see in me and what, with your help, I can become. And give me the courage to do what I need to do to fulfill your vision for me, so that my life will be an investment in eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 1:41-42 (NIV).

In his book, Rewriting the Family Script, Roger Hillerstrom shares how “a small, Midwestern town once sponsored a coyote hunt because so many farmers were losing chickens to the predators. Fifteen hundred coyotes were killed over a single weekend.

“However, within a few months the entire community was overrun with rodents, because their natural enemy, the coyote, had been eliminated. A year after that, the rodents weren’t much of a problem, but the rattlesnakes were! Because there were so many rats and mice for them to eat, the poisonous snakes had reproduced rapidly.

“At that point, the chickens were safe, but the humans were in danger! You see, the coyotes had been an important part of the environmental system—the food chain. When one part of that system changed, other parts adapted to the new reality.”²

When we as individuals, groups, or societies and even some churches get rid of God’s Word, the Ten Commandments, and overthrow God’s standards to do as we please, and seek to throw out God himself, the seeds of our ultimate destruction are sown. God is not mocked. In time, we all reap what we have sown.

As the Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men [and women] of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”³

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, amid the ever increasing pressure in our society to get rid of anything to do with the Bible and with you, please help me to be on my guard, be strong, and stand firm in my Christian faith. And help me to so live that others seeing Jesus in me will want him for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Galatians 6:7 (NKJV).

2. P. Roger Hillerstrom, Rewriting the Family Script, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 1995), p. 19. Cited on www.sermons.com.

3. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV).

Larry L. wrote to me a very short but impressive note. It read, “Sorry I can’t donate anything. I’m just a kid, but I’ll stand right with you in prayer. I’ll continue to pray for your mission. Thanks for all your messages.”

I replied: Hi Larry, bless you for your desire to pray for our ministry. This is a big offering to the Lord, and a great encouragement and blessing to Joy and me.

Remember, too, that God has used lots of kids in his work—kids who made themselves available for him to use—kids whom he used to make an impact on others.

Samuel, one of the great prophets of God in years gone by, began to serve God when he was just a kid.

When God called David who became the mighty King of Israel, he was just a shepherd lad being diligent with his work.

Jesus took the five two loaves of bread and two fish that a kid gave to him to feed a multitude of people.

I started serving God when just a kid by collecting and putting away the hymn books after every service in the small church I attended. And one of the best pieces of advice I received when I was little more than a kid was to commit and trust my life and way to God every day—and I’ve been doing that ever since. That’s been for quite a few years now. I encourage you to do the same and God will use you, too, to influence who knows how many people.

Also, ask God every day to use you to be “as Jesus” to your family, friends and every life you touch.

God’s very best to you, Larry, and many thanks again for standing with us in prayer.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you so much for kids who have a tender heart towards you. Please help me to always come to you as such a child and use me to share your love to others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV).

I have read that the African impala can jump more than ten feet high and cover a distance of thirty feet. So why can impalas be held captive in a zoo behind a wall that is only three feet high?

It’s because this magnificent animal will not jump if it can’t see where its feet are going to fall—and beyond the zoo wall it cannot see.

Smart animal.

God’s advice to us is the same, “Above all else, guard your heart; for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”²

Great advice!

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for your Word, the Bible, which gives us instructions for wholesome, healthy, and productive living. Give me a hunger to know your Word and the good sense to apply it and live by it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Proverbs 4:23, 27 (NIV).

2. Ibid.

King Duncan writes how “there is a great lesson in the story of Ben Hur—a young Jewish lad who is charged with a crime he didn’t commit. In a travesty of a trial he is condemned to the galleys. They chained him to a bench in the hold of a ship and to an oar. For weeks and months, then years he is forced to pull on that oar. If he should ever slack up, he will feel the sting of the lash.

“But finally Ben Hur escapes from this barbaric punishment. It is time for Ben Hur’s famous chariot race with Mersala, the haughty Roman. The chariot race is ultimately a test of strength and endurance. As Ben Hur whips those great horses around the inner ring, it is clear that he is the stronger and more fit of the two. The years of pulling on the oar in the hold of a ship had produced a man of steel.

“There may be a great deal of injustice in our lives. We may feel that we are chained to an oar. But if we keep pulling, if we keep giving our best, [with God's help] we can become better people through our hardships.”²

True, the trials of life can make us bitter or they can make us better. We can take the high road or the low road. It’s never easy but the choice is ours.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, whenever trials come my way, please help me to accept them as opportunities to grow and become a healthier and stronger person, so I will be better equipped to serve you and help others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. James 1:2-4 (NIV).

2. King Duncan, www.sermons.com.